How Far We've Come
by DiddleJumpedOverTheMoon
Summary: Prequel to 'Hermione Malfoy'; After the war, Hermione is finally getting a chance to finish her schooling at Hogwarts as Head Girl. The only problem: Draco Malfoy is Head Boy. Can Hermione keep her relationship with Ron afloat? Rated M for adult content, mostly in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello Lovelies! I'M BAAAACKKK! So for those of you who have read my material before, you are in for a treat, because this is the prequel to my other fic, Hermione Malfoy. If you want to know what happened to Hermione and Draco before the wedding, here's where you're going to get the juicy details! Thanks to all of you for your ongoing support and reviews, I owe my writing to you! Enjoy!**

The August air was hot and sticky, and Hermione could feel the sweat dripping down her back as she hauled a particularly large box from her bedroom to the tiny car parked in her driveway. She couldn't stand this kind of heat. It felt like walking through an oven anywhere she went, and the air conditioning in the house happened to be broken. She had never been so eager to go back to Hogwarts, especially because the war was finally over and she got a chance to become Head Girl.

"Hermione, love, are you ready to go?" Hermione's mother called from the front door. It was plain on her face that she had been crying. After all of these years, she still couldn't keep herself from crying whenever Hermione left for Hogwarts. Hermione smiled tenderly at her mother and walked over. Her thighs stuck together below the hem of her shorts, rubbing together uncomfortably.

"Yeah, I think that's the last of it, I'm surprised I managed to fit it all in the car…" Hermione trailed off as her father bounded out the door in a Hawaiian shirt, blue cargo shorts, and strap on sandals. Poised in his hand was a rather clunky looking videocamera, which was crammed in the faces of Hermione and her mother.

"My beautiful daughter Hermione and gorgeous wife ready to bring Hermione to Hogwarts for the last time! Anything to say?" he asked excitedly. Hermione smiled at her father's enthusiasm, though she was embarrassed at her appearance. Little ringlets stuck to her neck and forehead in the sweat from her exertion, the rest of her hair pulled into a bushy, and preposterously frizzy ponytail. Her tank top clung to her stomach in strange places, and her shorts were old and bleach-stained, though they were the most comfortable pair she owned.

"We both love you very much, darling," Hermione's mother smiled, hugging her daughter close to her side…

Hermione stopped the video when she heard footsteps, waving the image away with her hands. It dispersed in a sparkling gold poof, and she frantically wiped tears from her eyes. She would conjure these videos often to comfort herself when she missed her parents, who had gotten into a fatal car accident during the war. She always wished that she could have said goodbye to them, but she didn't have the nerve to try to use the time turner to do so. Hermione pushed the thought of her parents from her head, turning toward the door, where Ron stood.

"You ready, Mione?" Ron asked, red eyebrows raised. Hermione nodded, giving her boyfriend the best smile she could muster. Ron hadn't exactly been able to comfort her much since she found out about her parent's death. There's only so much hugs and "do you want to make out?"s could do for her. There was no one she really felt comfortable with talking about her parents, so she internalized the pain their death had caused.

"I'll be right down, Ron, I'm just getting a few last minute things together." Hermione said in what she hoped was a cheerful voice. It was good enough for Ron, it seemed. He nodded and slipped down the stairs, leaving Hermione to her thoughts once more. She looked around the room she had occupied so many times before. It was Ginny's room, painted pink from when she was a little girl but plastered all over with quittich posters, a framed signed jersey, and collages of moving pictures. This room had always felt like home to Hermione, though something seemed off about it this summer. She wasn't quite as comfortable as she had been in the past. Could it be a nervous stomach knowing Ron was in the same house now that they were together? Or was it the strange relief that came with the end of the war and their long- lasting struggle with evil? Whatever it was, Hermione did not know, but she was looking forward to getting her own room in the Head's dormitories at Hogwarts. She knew a room of her very own would be the best place for her to feel safe. Grabbing the handle of her trunk, Hermione wheeled everything to one spot, where she proceeded to shrink it all and put it in a leather satchel that used to be her father's. When she got downstairs, everyone was talking and moving about, trying to get out of the door all at once.

"Ah, there's Hermione, let's go then!" Molly called over the crowd, leading the parade of Weasleys (and one Granger and one Potter) out the door. Hermione decided then to be positive. After all, it was the year she had been looking forward to all her life.

King's Cross was as crowded as always, and the large party of people were able to board the train in record time, finding seats almost immediately. Harry and Ginny occupied one side of the compartment while Ron and Hermione sat on the other, and Hermione couldn't help but grin, remembering all of the time they had spent on this train.

"Do you remember first year? The first time we met?" Hermione asked Harry and Ron. Ron smiled broadly at her and nodded.

"Yeah, I remember. It was Neville. He'd lost Trevor and you were trying to help him find the bloody thing. And you already had your robes on and everything." He said, wrapping an arm about her shoulder. Hermione responded to the contact by scooting closer to Ron until their legs touched. She could feel the pink in her cheeks as her heart sped up a little. It was so strange to think that after everything they had been through together, she was nervous and shy around her new boyfriend. She was sure it would wear off and their deep bond would remain, connecting them in a way that she didn't think possible with anyone else. Except perhaps Harry, but she didn't like him that way. Besides, he had Ginny, and he was head over heels for that girl. He was always holding her hand, asking if she wanted anything, fetching things for her before she had a chance to even wave her wand. Hermione couldn't wait until she and Ron were at the stage in their relationship where they could act that way towards each other. She smiled thinking about it.

"I remember too… seems such a long time ago, doesn't it? Like it was in another life altogether." Harry mused, his fingers drawing invisible circles in the fabric over Ginny's knee.

"Well it couldn't have been that wonderful because I wasn't there." Ginny joked, giving Harry a wink unbeknownst to Ron, who was busying himself with stroking Hermione's mess of tangled curls.

"True enough, Gin. I don't know what I'd do without my best girlfriend." Hermione smiled back at her. Sometimes the testosterone in the "golden trio" was a bit overwhelming for Hermione, so she found herself often seeking refuge in talking to Ginny.

"Yeah, who else would you talk to about these two?" Ginny asked. This time both boy's eyes shot toward the read headed girl.

"What, you talk about us during girl time?" Harry asked Ginny seriously. Ginny shrugged.

"Well of course we talk about you! You do happen to be hanging around a lot, you know. Relax, it's nothing bad," Ginny said nonchalantly, and then when she saw that Harry was still staring, "Oh come on, like you don't talk about us during boy time." She got him there. Harry opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of speaking and closed it again.

The train ride seemed longer than usual due to the fact that Hermione was anxious to arrive, so she tried her hardest to take a nap. Placing her head against Ron's shoulder, she fell asleep almost immediately.

Hermione woke to a hand gentry shaking her shoulder. Sleepily, she opened her eyes and saw that the train had stopped and not only she had fallen asleep, but Ron had too, and he was leaning back against the window, her head resting on his chest. Harry was the one shaking her, and she thought she heard something about arriving escape his lips. When her brain made sense of what was going on, she sat up eagerly, ready to get off the train. She reached over and rubbed Ron's arm firmly but tenderly. His eyes fluttered open after a few seconds and she told him they had arrived. Ron yawned and stretched his arms above his head grandly, then rose to get their bags from the shelf above.

"Ready for our last year of school?" Ron asked them as they stepped out of their compartment to disembark. All four had matching grins. The three older because they were finally going back to finish their last year, and Ginny because she had caught up with them during the war and now shared classes with her best friend.

"I can't wait! I have so many classes that I'm very interested in, and I'm sure it'll be wonderful getting back to work!" Hermione stated happily, straightening her robes. Her three companions rolled their eyes at each other.

"That's our Hermione, alright!" Ron smiled, entwining his hand with hers as they got off of the Hogwarts Express and headed towards the carriages.

Professor McGonagall beckoned students into the great hall and gave them a warm greeting as they entered. Hermione looked up at the night sky and the floating candle and remembered the first time she looked up at the enchanted ceiling. The familiarity of it all made her smile, and then her mood got even better when Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood bounded up to them to say hello.

"We looked all over for you on the train, but we couldn't find your compartment anywhere, we ended up sitting with a bunch of first years who were scared out of their mind about sorting." Neville explained. Luna nodded in agreement, radishes swinging furiously from her ears.

"Are you two dating now?" Ginny asked them, smiling her gossip smile. Neville grinned and looked over at Luna, who nodded enthusiastically.

"We just realized it was meant to be." She said softly, giving a knowing smile. They were then cut off by Professor McGonagall announcing for all students to take their seats so the first years could be brought in and sorted. The crowd dispersed and the four of them, now joined by Neville, had a seat at the Gryffindor table.

The sorting and the feast were routine and just as magical as they had been any other year, and the friends were able to catch up, joke around, and tell stories from the summer past. It was while Ginny, who was sitting across from Hermione, was in the lavatory when Hermione noticed another familiar face. Draco Malfoy had returned to Hogwarts as well, sitting at the Slytherin table with Pansy Parkinson, wearing a look that Hermione had never seen on his face before. It was a look of boredom and disgust with Pansy, which was indeed a face Hermione could recognize, but at the same time there was a glint of something in his eyes, perhaps, that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Suddenly, Draco looked over and caught her eye, and she quickly diverted her gaze, hoping he hadn't noticed that she was staring at him. Through the rest of supper, Hermione wondered what that look in Draco's eyes could have been. Maybe it had something to do with his joining the good side during the war. Maybe that meant that there was still some good in him? Hermione didn't know, but she couldn't help but think that anyone who chose the light side must have some good in them. Either way, she knew she still despised him. One act of bravery and moral character wasn't going to fool her into believing he was a changed man. Everything about him said scum, and she wouldn't associate with such a person.

After dinner, when the lot of them were stuffed beyond possibility with every kind of food imaginable, they all made their way to their rooms. While Harry, Ginny, and Neville broke off to go up to Gryffindor tower, Ron walked Hermione to her dormitory before retiring to his. The Head's Dormitories were located on the fourth floor in a tower on the far east side of the castle, and was located behind a portrait of King Arthur and Excalibur. Hermione gave the password, _licorice wand_, and the portrait swung open, revealing the coziest looking common room Hermione had ever seen. There was a fire crackling in a hearth, overstuffed brown leather chairs and a large soft couch gathered around it. The floor was carpeted in thick, brown material that Hermione squished her toes in after taking her shoes off at the door, wandering around to look at all of the paintings that hung around the room. There were also two short staircases, one on each side of the fireplace, and a small balcony- like area directly above it. Hermione bounded up the Head Girl's staircase and opened the door on the right side, which led to a roomy bathroom, complete with a bathtub that could also be a shower. There was a door on the other side of the bathroom, too, which she assumed led to the Head Boy's bedroom. Finally, she swung the door to her bedroom open, and fell in love with the space. The four poster bed was centered facing a window, a claw footed mahogany wardrobe sitting on one side, a small bedside table on the other. There was plenty of room for her decorations and posters, and the window would let in plenty of light once the sun came up. Hermione happily flopped onto her bed and was marveling at how soft it was when Ron came in and sat beside her.

"Well, it looks like you've really got it made, Hermione. It's a bloody brilliant dormitory." Ron smiled, looking around her room. He bounced on the bed a little, "You're lucky, the beds in Gryffindor tower are nowhere near as comfortable as this!"

"Well, it does seem to pay off, working so hard, doesn't it?" Hermione asked, sitting up again and realizing Ron had a huge grin on his face.

"You know, I could always stay here sometimes…" he said softly, and then his lips met hers roughly. Hermione kissed back, responding to the obvious need in Ron's lips. But the kiss was short-lived. Because Hermione suddenly heard a knock on the door, and someone clearing their throat, making her and Ron shoot up to a sitting position in a matter of milliseconds.

"Pardon the intrusion, but could you at least shut your door if you're going to snog each other's faces off?"

**What do you think?! Pleeease please please review! Keep looking for updates **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Thanks so much for the positive feedback for chapter one! We all know who was at the door, time for him to be formally introduced. Enjoy! **

Hermione's cheeks turned crimson as Draco Malfoy sauntered into her new bedroom, giving the place a once over.

"Malfoy, this happens to be my room and you have no business in it." Hermione said firmly, getting up from the bed.

"Nice place we've got, eh Granger? I like your room, perhaps we should spend some quality time in here… get to know each other better? Of course my room works just as well." Draco smirked, his eyes falling on Hermione. Ron jumped up from the bed and flew at the blond boy, fists clenched so tightly they were white. Hermione quickly stepped between them, holding her hands out towards Ron to calm him down.

"You won't be doing anything of the sort, Malfoy. Back off, of else." Ron seethed, his eyes narrowed to slits. Draco laughed.

"Oh I'd forgotten! You two got together this past summer, hadn't you? Well that would explain all of the snogging. Though I can't say you were very good at it, Weasel. It did look more like you were licking her face." Draco leered, a devilish smile tugging at the sides of his mouth. Ron growled from deep in his chest and this time pushed Hermione aside, grabbing the front of Draco's robes in his fist.

"Ronald, stop it! He's not worth the trouble, just calm down!" Hermione said urgently, recovering from the shove he had given her to get to Malfoy. Ron didn't move an inch.

"You heard the woman, Weasel. Better learn to control that hot temper of yours, or you'll never even get to second base." Draco chided Ron in a singsong voice. Hermione could see a vein in Ron's forehead pulsing with anger, his face growing nearly as red as his hair. There was a few second pause, then Ron let go, pushing Draco back from him. Hermione went to rub Ron's shoulder but he shrugged it off.

"Next time you won't be so lucky, Malfoy. You had better watch yourself." Ron warned, venom in his voice. Draco did not react to this statement except to straighten his tie and brush some lint off of his robes.

"Please leave, Malfoy. Don't you have to be getting back to the dungeons anyway?" Hermione asked, exasperated and longing for the fluff of her bed.

"No such luck, Granger. As disgusted as I am with the head boy and girl arrangement, I'm stuck living here with you this year." Draco sneered back, walking casually towards the door. Hermione and Ron's mouths nearly dropped open.

"You're head boy?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Yes, unfortunately. I wasn't sure I wanted the position, what with all of the responsibility that came with it… but the allure of having a private room to myself was just too tempting to refuse. Although now that I know I have to share my bathroom with you, I'm not so sure I want the job anymore." Draco responded now leaning against the doorframe.

"No, Hermione, you have to talk to McGonagall and get yourself demoted, because there is no way I'm letting you share a room with this foul git." Ron stated firmly, expecting Hermione to nod her agreement. She took a deep breath. Yes, Draco Malfoy was the last person on earth she would want to share a dormitory with, but she had waited to become head girl for so long, she wasn't about to give it all up for an undesirable housing situation. Surely they could coexist in the same quarters and just keep out of each other's way. Hermione took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself for all possible reactions.

"Well, Ma- I mean Draco, if we're going to live together, I should like to do it peacefully. Can we agree to stay out of each other's way?" Hermione asked, walking over to the blond and offering her hand to him. Draco looked down at it, then back up at Hermione's face.

"Hermione, what in bloody HELL are you doing? This is Malfoy we're talking about. You can't live with him! I forbid you to live with him!" Ron shouted from behind her. Even Draco could tell that what Ron just said was not okay just by the way Hermione's expression changed. There was a glint of anger in her eye and her face had hardened, lips pursed. She slowly wheeled around to see Ron standing tall behind her, breathing heavily.

"What did you just say to me Ronald?" Hermione asked in a soft but deadly voice. There was a grunt from behind her.

"Uh-oh, the full name is coming out, you're in the dog house now, Weasel." Draco jeered. Hermione snapped around.

"You stay out of this, you loathsome little cockroach! And get the fuck out of my room!" she roared in his direction. Draco gave one last snide smile and exited the room casually, heading to his room via the bathroom. Hermione then turned to Ron, prepared for an all out row. Ron did not look as confident as he had been before.

"Now, as for you. You will _never_ tell me what I can and cannot do, Ronald Weasley. If I choose to keep this room, that's _my _business, not yours. You do not forbid me to do anything." Hermione told him, face and voice hard with anger.

"Fine. But I don't like it, Hermione," Ron said, giving up and walking to the door, "And don't complain to me when you can't stand the bloody git."

"Well I won't because I happen to know how to be civil with people!" Hermione called after him. The last thing she heard was the portrait door slamming and then she was alone. Hermione sighed and looked around, trying to decide what to unpack first. She got out her ipod and alarm clock and plugged it in, playing her favorite playlist of songs. And then she got to work.

An hour later, boxes were flying above Hermione's head, unpacking themselves as she directed each item to their correct place. She couldn't seem to get the argument she had with Malfoy and Ron out of her head. Malfoy's behavior was expected, of course. He was always a vile git. But Ron had never said something like that to her before. It was awfully possessive, and she did not like being ordered around. But that wasn't even the strange part. The strange part was that Ron's demands made her want to live with Malfoy all the more.


	3. Chapter 3: show offs and green monsters

**So sorry this took so long… I was recently inspired by a Guest who reviewed many if not all of the chapters for Hermione Malfoy, and I realized I have been leaving you guys hanging! So, if that Guest is reading this, here's a shout out for you! Enjoy! R&R!**

The year was getting off to a rougher start than Hermione imagined it would, and the main reason for that was Draco Malfoy. He was constantly getting in her way or on her nerves and no matter what she did, she was finding it hard to share living quarters with him. However, no matter how he annoyed and infuriated her, Hermione refused to give in and move, nor tell Ron how badly it was going. She wouldn't admit that he was right. This didn't keep him from bugging her about it, though.

"How's it going with the ferret then, Hermione? Getting on your nerves yet?" Ron would ask her casually, trying to hide the vicious curiosity in his voice.

"Well we all know Malfoy can be irritating, but he isn't impossible to live with, I'll have you know. To be honest, we don't interact much at all." Hermione would tell him, which was only partially true. Some days she and Draco saw nothing of each other, and other days they would find themselves both in the common room doing homework in silence. But if they did see each other, every day would hold at least one argument or squabble.

"Well, I suppose I scared him into leaving you alone, then." Ron said proudly, leaning back in his chair with an irritatingly satisfied look on his face. Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes or scoff at his blatant smugness, due to the fact that he in no way remotely scared Draco Malfoy. However, Hermione was tired of keeping her frustration to herself. She needed to vent to someone, and there were only two people she would feel comfortable doing that with. One was Harry, but she couldn't very well tell him because he would definitely let something slip to Ron. The only other was a certain red haired girl who happened also to be her best girlfriend.

"I'm just so sick of his arrogance, you know?" Hermione explained to Ginny on their way down to the quidditch pitch one afternoon for tryouts.

"But you said that you barely interact, much less fight with the git!" Ginny said, surprised that Hermione hadn't told her about her unfortunate interactions with the blond boy.

"Oh it's far from that, Gin. We fight about everything! Half the time we start fighting and I don't even remember what's started it in the first place!" Hermione said, waving her hands around to show exactly how aggravated she was with Malfoy.

"Well, like what? How much is there to fight about?" Ginny questioned, fixing the strap on one of her gloves and shifting her gym bag further over her shoulder as she spoke. Hermione thought for a moment of the most recent squabbles she had had with the petulant Slytherin.

"Well the other day he brought a girl back to the room in the middle of the night and I could hear them doing you know what in his room until three in the morning. Three in the morning! Ginny, I need to sleep and besides, I shouldn't have to put up with the incessant banging on the wall in the middle of the night! So anyway, the next day I asked him if he would stop bringing girls back in the middle of the night and if he would try to be more considerate of the fact that I have to sleep on the other side of the wall, and he flat out refused, and said it was none of my business when he came home or who he brought with him when he did." Hermione explained, becoming peeved all over again thinking about it.

"Well, I think you're right! It's pretty weird hearing other people have sex in the first place, but when it's in the middle of the night that's just even worse. Maybe he's doing it just to bother you, though, Mione. Maybe if you don't let things like that bother you, he'll stop doing it. Trust me, when you grow up with six brothers, you learn to stop reacting to the things they do to bother you, and eventually they lose interest." Ginny said as they walked into the locker room.

"That's an interesting idea… Thanks, Gin, I'll try that!" Hermione said, cheered by the idea that she may get Malfoy to stop bugging her.

"Try what?" asked Ron, giving Hermione a peck on the cheek and tossing his gym bag on the bench.

"Oh, just a new type of tampon I've discovered." Ginny said quickly, immediately causing Ron to scrunch up his face in disgust.

"Forget I asked. Come to watch tryouts?" he asked Hermione happily, wrapping an arm around her waist. She smiled and nodded.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it! I'll be right up in the stands cheering you on!" Hermione said happily, giving Ron a quick kiss on the mouth.

"I'll be looking for you. Just remember to sit on the left side, Slytherin is having their tryouts on the right side of the pitch. Some scheduling conflict." Ron let out a short sigh of frustration.

"Alright, I will! I'll let you get ready, then, see you afterwards!" Hermione said, moving towards the stairs to the stands. Once she found a seat and settled down, Hermione saw that the Slytherin team was already out on the pitch, zooming around the goal posts. She immediately was able to zero in on the bleach blond head that unmistakably belonged to Draco Malfoy, and found herself following his path through the air for lack of anything better to do. There were a few Slytherin girls in the stands closer to the other side of the pitch, calling out to Malfoy and giggling behind their hands. When he caught wind of their admiring him, he began to show off, doing tricks on his broom that Hermione had never seen before. He managed once to do a backflip as he was moving, then stand on his broom and jump over the goal posts while the broom went through, landing safely on the other side. Hermione rolled her eyes. Typical. A flash of red then caught her attention, and she changed her gaze to the Gryffindor team, starting to kick off into the air themselves.

"Alright, we'll start tryouts with beaters, then chasers and keeper. Anyone who is here to try out for a position as a beater, stay out here, the rest of you, off to the sidelines!" Harry called out to the group before him. A few stayed while others retreated to the side of the field. And so the tryouts began. Since Ron and Ginny were not beaters, Hermione found herself bored, looking over to the Slytherin side for some entertainment from the blond wanker showing off his tricks. She wasn't the only one who was watching either. It was hard for any of the Gryffindors on the sidelines to not watch as Malfoy performed trick after trick, varying with difficulty and hazard. Harry interrupted the show, calling to the chasers and keepers to come out onto the field. The first keeper was good, saving twelve out of fifteen shots three chasers were taking. The second was not as lucky, missing more than he saved. Finally it was Ron's turn, and Hermione scooted forward on her seat to watch closer. Ron seemed a little clumsy, but managed to save eight in a row when Hermione heard cheering and yelling from the girls watching the Slytherin tryouts. Sure enough, there was Draco, expertly weaving in and out of the goal posts and receiving applause. Hermione watched the careful movement of body and broom as Draco managed to navigate in such tight figure eights and she was amazed at how much control he had. Her deep thought was broken by the booming voice of Harry calling the end of tryouts. Hermione snapped her head back towards the Gryffindor side, and realized she had missed the end of Ron's tryout. Wondering if he managed to become keeper again, she tried to get a glimpse of what was going on down on the grass. Sure enough, Ron was taking a jersey out of Harry's hand. Smiling, Hermione made her way back to the locker room.

"Ron, you were fantastic, congratulations!" she squealed, throwing her arms around her boyfriend's neck as she entered the room.

"Yeah, uh, thanks, Mione." He mumbled, his voice hinting at anger. Hermione stopped and backed up a step.

"Are you okay?" she asked, trying to catch his eye. Ron busied himself with packing his bag.

"I'm fine. Just thought you might want to go over to the other side of the pitch and congratulate Malfoy on his extreme broom tricks." Ron said clearly, keeping his head down.

"Oh, Ron, I'm sorry I missed your last few shots! I just heard the cheering and I looked over, and he just looked so ridiculous I wanted to laugh! You know he might be good at broom tricks, but he is nothing compared to you out on that pitch, Ron." Hermione said, giving him a genuine smile. He looked up at her and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah? You think so?" he asked, giving her a crooked smile back.

"I know so!" she answered, giving his cheek a kiss.

"Hey there, love birds, ready to walk back up to the castle?" Ginny asked, dragging Harry behind her. The four of them left together, talking about how the tryout had gone.

"Did you see Malfoy out there? Showing off for all of those airhead Slytherin bimbos? He looked absolutely ridiculous!" Ginny mused, giggling and clinging on to Harry's arm.

"Oh yeah, typical of that git isn't it? He's no good on the field though." Ron practically repeated Hermione's words, making her feel like he actually believed her when she said them.

"Yeah, and the worst part of it is I have to be potions partners with him this year." Harry said grimly. His three companions made sympathetic noises as they entered the castle, going strait to the great hall for some dinner.

"Oh, you know I should really go and do some homework, I have rounds to do tonight." Hermione told her friends around seven o clock, right around the time they finished dinner. Since Harry and Ron hadn't had dessert yet, Ginny accompanied her to the head's tower.

"So, you have single rounds, or do you have to go with that dog, Malfoy?" Ginny asked as they waited for a changing staircase to stop moving.

"Unfortunately it'll have to be with him. But I'm going to try your tactic. I'll just ignore him and hopefully he'll stop trying in time." Hermione said, determined to make this plan work.

"Alright, well good luck. Fill me in on how it goes later, alright? See you tomorrow!" Ginny said, headed towards Gryffindor tower while Hermione completed the journey to her own tower.

Hermione met Malfoy in the dungeons at nine to start their rounds, and he was wearing a crisp white button down shirt with no tie, his hair combed and wet as though he had just taken a shower. Hermione imagined he had a long dinner and didn't remember to shower all of the grime from quidditch off until the last minute.

"Saw you at the tryouts today, Granger," Malfoy mused about ten minutes in. Hermione didn't respond, hoping he would give it up.

"It must have been refreshing for you to see someone who really knows what he's doing on a broom, hmm?" he continued. Still no response. "Well, needless to say being the best on a broom is a hassle sometimes…. All of those girls always distracting me. But then again, if it weren't for me, the team wouldn't only be losing games, they wouldn't be getting laid either." Malfoy said, a touch of boredom in his voice. This ignoring thing wasn't working.

"Oh, shove it, Malfoy! You're no better than anyone else on that pitch today, though at least you actually tried out for the spot instead of bribing your way in with money." Hermione said, trying to keep her voice civil. Malfoy gave a little chuckle.

"Not that I care about your values or your opinions, Granger, but there are other things to use as bait for bribery. Like I said, the team wouldn't be getting laid without me." Draco said casually, smirking a gade A smirk at Hermione. Indignant at his words, Hermione stopped in her tracks and spun towards him.

"You foul little pig! You got on the team because you offered up cheap dates for your team to…to…. Take advantage of?!" she spat at him, her face growing pink with anger.

"You can't even say it can you? Are you so innocent and pure that you can't even say the word? I know that the weasel is an awful bedfellow, but you shouldn't be afraid of the word now, Granger." Malfoy said harshly, continuing to walk down the hall.

"What are you getting at, Malfoy? Ron is perfectly fine, thank you, and I don't know what word you're talking about." Hermione said furiously, marching on next to him.

"Oh you know very well, what. You need a good shag, Granger, you're such a prude. But if even the Weasel doesn't want you in bed, I don't know how you'll solve that little issue." Malfoy knew that this would press her buttons more than anything, and he grinned maliciously, waiting for her to take the bait. And take it she did.

"I am NOT a prude, you disgusting little FERRET! And how DARE YOU assume you know what's going on in my relationship! Just because you'll fuck anything that moves, doesn't mean everyone else wants to as well! Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed before I hex you into the next universe!" Hermione screamed, turning a corner and stomping away. Malfoy gasped.

"Did the virgin Granger just say the word _fuck?"_ he said in faux awe, making Hermione stomp harder. She had never been so angry at him for being the ass hole he was or at herself for taking the bait and getting pulled right into the center of his jokes again.

**Hope you enjoyed PLEASEEEEEE review! Love you all!**


	4. Chapter 4: Birthday Blues

**Unheard of! I'm updating AGAIN! Enjoy!**

September was quickly coming to a close and Hermione was trying her hardest to stay out of the head's tower and away from Malfoy at all times. Since the night they did rounds together, she had no desire to interact with him at all, though she knew she would have to that night when they would be on rounds together again.

Hermione trudged down to the dungeons dreading the pending association she would have with the biggest arse in the school. Sure enough, the blond boy was leaning lazily against a wall, sending tiny sparks from the tip of his wand into the air. When he heard her shoes clicking down the hall he pushed himself up with great effort.

"Nice of you to join me, Granger. Shall we get this over with then?" Draco suggested, turning away and starting down the passage. Strange. Usually he had more insults at the tip of his tongue waiting for her, especially if she was late. But today, he remained silent and avoided eye contact with her. Something was up.

"So, I haven't seen you around much lately. How've you been?" Hermione tried to make small talk to get anything out of him.

"What do you care?" Draco scoffed, still looking straight ahead.

"I don't you just look like you've got your wand in a knot. Forgive me for taking an interest." Hermione said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Yeah, well I don't need your sympathy, mudblood." He said, his voice cutting into her like a knife. Hermione could feel her insides start to boil at the vulgar name he just used.

"What is the matter with you? Were you just born with no emotions? I've never met such an enormous ass in my life, it's a wonder you have any friends at all, even ones as vile as yours!" Hermione snapped back. Unexpectedly, Draco turned to face her, shocking her with his face.

"No, you filthy dirty blooded bitch, it was beaten into me! You see this? This is what you get in my family for being weak! So don't you _ever _think for a second that you know me or my friends." Draco spat loudly, pointing to his face. Hermione stared dumbly at the side of his face he'd been hiding from her. Just above his eyebrow was a blood-crusted gash held together by butterfly bandages. His eye was a sickly shade of bluish-purple, and swollen almost shut. The shock of seeing the mutilated portion of his normally perfect face made Hermione gasp. Before she could do anything else, Draco was striding away at a quick pace. She was suddenly overtaken by guilt. Sure, he was the biggest ass on the planet, but it didn't mean he wasn't human. Hermione finished her rounds quickly and returned to her room, falling asleep almost immediately.

Hermione's eyes fluttered open on the morning of September 19th and she smiled immediately. Because today was her birthday, and she couldn't wait to see what Ron had in store for her. She took extra time to get dressed, taking extra care to brush her hair smooth, and she even put on makeup, which she almost never did. Just as she was leaving the bathroom, Malfoy was coming out of his room and coming into the bathroom, scratching the back of his head. Hermione had almost forgotten about his eye.

"Hey," she said quietly, turning back towards him. Draco looked up with a sour look on his face. He nodded hello, turning toward the sink to wash his face. Hermione hesitated for a moment, not sure how to apologize without making a fool of herself.

"Hey, Ma- uh… Draco? Look, I just wanted to say that I shouldn't have said what I did last night. You're right, I don't know much about you or your past." She said in the most genuine of voices she could muster. Draco dried his face with a towel.

"I don't need an apology from you, Granger. I couldn't have given a hippogriff's feather about what you said." He responded coldly, leaving the bathroom and slamming his door behind him. Hermione sighed. At least she tried. Turning away, she bounded down the stairs and into the great hall to grab a muffin before she went down to the quidditch pitch to watch practice. Afterwards, Hermione met Harry, Ginny, and Ron in the locker room.

"Hey Hermione! Happy birthday!" Ginny squealed, running over to hug her friend. Ron exchanged a panicked look with Harry, then quickly bolted outside. Hermione, busy hugging Ginny, didn't notice.

"Happy birthday, Mione, been a good day so far?" Harry asked her. Hermione smiled broadly.

"Well, I haven't done much yet, but I'm sure Ron's got something wonderful planned for later. And we could all get together and celebrate in the head's common room tonight?" Hermione said cheerily.

"Oh that sounds brilliant, Hermione! I can't wait to give you your present, you will absolutely love it." Ginny disclosed seriously. Hermione laughed and looked around. There was no sign of Ron.

"Hey, have you seen Ron anywhere? I could have sworn I saw him come off the field…" Hermione mentioned, still looking about the room for her boyfriend. Harry opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Ron burst back into the room.

"Happy birthday, Hermione!" Ron said loudly, holding a hand behind his back. Hermione turned around, smiling, and gave him a kiss.

"What do you have behind your back, then, Ronald?" she teased, trying to sneak a peek at what he was hiding. Ron grinned and pulled a bouquet of dandelions from behind him. Hermione's heart dropped.

"Oh, Ron… They're um… they're beautiful, thank you." She said, trying her best to mask the disappointment in her voice. Ron continued to smile, completely missing her dissatisfaction.

"Um, if you guys don't mind I suddenly feel ill, I think I'm going to lay down for a little while. I'll see you back at the castle." Hermione mumbled, holding her stomach and exiting the room quickly. The second she got outside she let her tears flow. Clearly he had forgotten and picked the dandelions last minute. Some even had roots still hanging from them! Didn't he know that dandelions were weeds anyway? She cried furious tears all the way back to the head's tower. She threw the offending plants on the floor in the common room, then stomped up to her room and slammed the door. Draco, hearing the slam, emerged from his room and went to investigate the common room for evidence of what had happened. He saw dandelions scattered about the portrait hole, some still shedding dirt on the floor. What in bloody hell were they doing there? He was sure it had to do with Hermione's tantrum.

"Oy, Granger! Are you planning on cleaning up this mess of dandelion shit off of my floor?" he called irritably up her stairs. He heard a bed creak, footsteps, then the door open. Hermione came down quietly, her face a picture of stony fury.

"My floor? _My _floor, Malfoy? Let me tell you something. I have had quite enough of you and your attitude. I am nothing but nice to you, and you are a consistent wanker of extraordinary caliber. Who do you think you are? This is not _your _floor, _Malfoy. _This is just as much my floor as yours, and I will do with my goddamn floor whatever I fucking please! And no, I will _not _be cleaning up the mess of dandelion shit, so why don't you just BUGGAR OFF?" Hermione practically screamed in Malfoy's face, an experience he had not had the pleasure of suffering before. With that, Hermione stomped out of the room to find Ron and give him a piece of her mind. She found him by the doors of the great hall, pacing nervously.

"Hermione-" he started when he saw her, but she held her hand up to stop him.

"I don't want to hear it, Ronald. You forgot my birthday, and in a poor effort to cover it up, you gave me a bouquet of _weeds _with roots still hanging from them. I can't believe you! I cannot believe that you would forget your girlfriend's birthday! I've never once forgotten yours, and every year you've forgotten mine! Well, I'm sick of it, Ronald! You had better come up with something damn good to fix this!" she spat, then turned to leave. Before going back up to her room, she felt like a walk around the grounds to clear her head and calm her down. It was a warm, sunny day with a slight breeze that blew some of the shorter pieces of hair surrounding her face behind her shoulders. Breathing in the fresh air helped to lessen her rage until she felt almost neutral again.

When Hermione entered the common room, she noticed that the dandelions had been removed from the floor along with every speck of dirt she had flung along with them. Additionally, she noticed a red package on the table with a large gold bow on top. Going over to examine the gift closer, she found that there was a tag with her name on it. Perhaps Ron got her something to make up for his idiocy. She pulled away the bow and the wrapping to reveal a first edition copy of Hogwarts a History, signed by the author. Hermione's mouth dropped open, and tears came to her eyes. It had to have come from Ron, he was always making fun of how she referenced the book all of the time. Her face broke into a bright smile, and she went off again, in search of the red head.

"Ron! Oh, Ron, thank you so much for getting me the copy of Hogwarts a History! I can't believe you came up with something so thoughtful, this makes up for this morning and then some!" Hermione said, throwing her arms around Ron happily when she found him in the Gryffindor common room.

"Wha- uh yeah, I thought you would like that, I'm sorry I forgot, Hermione." Ron apologized sincerely, hugging her back. Hermione gave him a long kiss before they finally broke apart, due to Harry clearing his throat.

"Hey, Ron, cold I borrow your herbology book? I need it for an essay." Harry asked Ron, flopping down into one of the overstuffed armchairs by the fire. Ron nodded and headed upstairs to fetch the book for Harry and Hermione sat down.

"Thanks for giving him the idea, Harry. I'm sure he didn't come up with getting me Hogwarts a History on his own." Hermione smiled at her friend. Harry looked genuinely surprised.

"Thanks for the credit, Mione, but I didn't help him with that one, he must have come up with it on his own." Harry told her, which made her heart soar even more. "I'm glad he fixed everything, I know Ron is forgetful sometimes. He means well, though." Harry smiled. Just then Ron reappeared with his herbology textbook, handing it over to Harry.

"Anyway, I have to go and do some work, but I'll see you all later in the heads common room, okay?" Hermione asked happily. She gave Ron another long kiss my the portrait hole before she left, leaving him almost begging for more.

Coming back into the head's common room, Hermione still couldn't stop smiling, even when she saw Malfoy sitting on the couch right in front of her. He gave her a puzzled look.

"Nice day, Granger?" he asked, in a snarky voice which she chose to ignore.

"Great day," She sighed, pitching herself backwards into a fluffy armchair, "Ron gave me the most wonderful gift!" She snapped out of her dreamy state by his harsh laugh.

"What, a good shag for once? Didn't know the weasel had it in him." He laughed crudely.

"No you disgusting prat! I'll have you know that he gave me a first edition _signed copy _of Hogwarts a History!" she smirked, not letting his obnoxious and disgusting humor ruin her good mood.

"I'm surprised that the weasel could fit the date of your birthday not to mention your favorite book in that thick head of his." Draco scoffed, getting up and heading towards the stairs.

"You knew it was my birthday?" Hermione said quietly, her voice completely serious. Draco froze, then turned around casually.

"Yeah, it's no big deal, I saw it on your calendar." He shrugged it off, then slunk upstairs. Hermione blinked. Her calendar? He had been in her room before, so that was believable. But how did he know that was her favorite book? She decided not to dwell on the answer to that question too long. After all, she needed to clean up for her birthday celebration later that night.

**Sooooo what do we think? Pleeeeease please please review I love you forever if you do. THANKS! **


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